Adeleke threatens to demolish substandard houses in Osun

Tunde Adeleke, Osogbo

The Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has cautioned developers in the state against the construction of houses without approved building plans.

The governor held that buildings built below standards, that pose a threat to human safety in the state will be demolished.

Governor Adeleke, in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, on Sunday, gave the warning while reacting to a report of the collapse of an uncompleted building in Osogbo, the state capital.

Adeleke also directed that appropriate officials should enforce that houses are built according to the approval of plans by the Ministry of Lands.

The statement reads: “Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has warned developers and residents against the construction of houses without approved building plans, threatening to bulldoze badly built houses that pose a threat to human safety.

“Reacting to a recent building collapse in the Ayetoro area of Osogbo, Governor Adeleke emphasised the importance of securing approvals for building plans to ensure the standard of construction and avoid unnecessary deaths and injuries.

“Building a plan is not an optional step in the building construction process, as it stops substandard houses that frequently collapse and pose safety risks to occupants and the environment.

“I’m using this medium to direct the Ministry of Lands to increase enforcement of approved building plans by developers and residents. Our officials must go to the estates and development areas to ensure houses are constructed according to approved plans.

“We need to save lives by ensuring that houses are built according to standards. We must also be proactive by testing the strength of houses before human tragedy occurs. Substandard houses, once identified, should be pulled down before a fatal collapse.

“‘We will sanction those who refuse to comply with the conditions of approved building plans. I further direct relevant agencies to pull down substandard houses before they wreck havoc.”